Discussing Frameworks for the Elimination of All Forms of Poverty in Lebanon

The General Secretariat of the House of Representatives and the Parliamentary Committee for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Plan organized a working meeting with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to discuss the report entitled “Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks for the Elimination of All Forms of Poverty in Lebanon” in order to achieve the first goal of the Sustainable Development Plan 2030, end poverty in Lebanon, on Monday, April 1, 2019 in the Library Chamber of the House of Representatives.

President of Makhzoumi Foundation, member of the National Commission for Lebanese Women’s Affairs, and the leader of the fifth goal of the sustainable development goals Mrs. May Makhzoumi attended this meeting, along with the Honorary President of Makhzoumi Foundation MP Fouad Makhzoumi, and the deputies Ali Bazzi, Inaya Ezzeding, Pierre Bou Assi, Simon Abou Ramya, Assem Araji, George Aqeis, George Adwan and Anwar Jumaa.

The meeting was also attended by the Resident Coordinator for UN Activities in Lebanon and the Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Philippe Lazarini, the representative of the Civil Society Coalition and the expert on poverty issues in Lebanon Mr. Adib Nehme, economist Dr. Jad Chaaban, Minister of Social Affairs Mr. Richard Kyumijian, director of UNDP’s Local and Social Development Program, Dr. Raghd Assi, researchers and representatives of relevant ministries, international and civil organizations and relevant experts.

The report included a number of legislative and supervisory initiatives related to a number of parliamentary committees concerned, particularly the Administration and Justice Committee, the Health, Labor and Social Affairs Committee, the Higher Education and Culture Committee, the Finance and Budget Committee, the Committee on Women and Children and the Human Rights Committee. These initiatives are aimed at achieving the first goal of the Sustainable Development Plan 2030 on the eradication of poverty in all its forms.

Worth mentioning, a World Bank study of 2017 on Lebanon indicated that 30% of Lebanese are below the poverty line, which means that about a third of the Lebanese people are poor. Unemployment reached 30% of Lebanon’s population and 36% of young people only in 2017 (World Bank official website).